Chapter 476: Escape
It was almost inevitable that the Swarm would eventually clash with the Ji. Any opportunity to learn more about their future adversary, even a small detail, was invaluable. The Ji’s emotionless artificial intelligence programs, in particular, always calculated and selected the optimal solutions for any given situation.
By carefully orchestrating certain scenarios, the Swarm could test and analyze the AI’s behavioral patterns, such as how many forces it would deploy in response to emergencies, the composition of those forces, and their operational range. Such data might seem trivial, but it could prove unexpectedly useful in future confrontations.
The spore pods dropped by the Swarm contained tens of thousands of Recon Bugs, high-grade units equipped with sealed internal circulation systems. Their independence from external air sources allowed them to adapt to nearly any planetary environment, making them ideal for gathering data during invasions of unfamiliar worlds.
Although Luo Wen had already acquired detailed environmental data on the Daqi planets, thanks to his innate ability to reverse-engineer a planet’s biosphere and atmosphere by analyzing the genetic sequences of any local lifeform, the Swarm still saw value in this exercise.
Luo Wen had already cataloged survival data for dozens of species from across the Interstellar Technological Confederation, all of which shared one common trait: members of their species had previously visited the Riken Star System.
The Recon Bugs deployed to the Daqi planets could have been tailored to the local environment, significantly reducing production costs. However, Luo Wen wanted to test the adaptability and reliability of the advanced Recon Bugs, simulating scenarios where local samples might not be available during future planetary invasions.
Accompanying the Recon Bugs were several Observer Bugs. Due to their small size, Recon Bugs lacked dedicated reconnaissance radar, necessitating external support.
Although the Swarm had already secured the planets’ low orbit, where the Observer Bugs could have easily provided support, a proper tactical drill demanded a full simulation of hostile conditions.
Observer Bugs, equipped with advanced stealth systems, as well as a suite of information-gathering and interception technologies, broke free from the spore pods upon landing and ascended to form an ad hoc satellite network at specific altitudes.